Checkpoint #1 - Declared Reading: Chaucer's Clerks Tale
Proposed Calendar:
9/23 - Read and take notes on declared reading
9/24 - Write summary of my selected reading
9/29 - Library visit for research and speak with a librarian
10/1 - Write annotations
10/6 - Focus on critical analysis/close reading. Think of all the suggested questions and answer them
10/15 - Checkpoint #2 due
10/16 - Gather more works cited and more research on topic for next checkpoint
10/23 - More theme related works for Annotated Bibliography
10/25- Reflection
11/1- Query
11/5- Checkpoint #3 due
11/7- Meeting with professor
11/10-Work on abstract
11/12- Work on argument against article
11/17-Survey
11/20- Review others work
11/24- Checkpoint #4 due
11/25- 12/12 Work on journal article to be completed by December 12!
Checkpoint #2
Summary of Chaucer's Clerks Tale:
This story is about a king named Walter who lived in Italy. Walter lived in delight, single, where marriage was far from his mind. Walter was told he needed to get a wife so that there was a heir to the throne. A wedding date was picked, so now all Walter had to do was find a bride. He set his eyes on a beautiful, but poor woman, named Griselda. The king gets her father, Janicula, to give permission for the marriage. The two become married and carry on to have a daughter, followed by a son. The king wants to test his wife's loyalty so he creates a number of tests for Griselda. First, he has an agent come take his daughter away where Griselda does not put up a fight at all. This happens again once they have a son. Next, Walter tells Griselda he is free from her and wishes to marry another woman. Griselda is sad but goes along with Walter's wishes. He even tells her to be in charge of his new wedding and gushes over his new bride and her beauty. He eventually feels so horrible because he is being cruel to Griselda. Griselda is so loyal to him and never denied any of his wishes. He tells her the truth about the tests, their children, and that there is no other wedding. They stay with each other for the rest of their lives and their son becomes king.
Annotated Bibliographies:
S.K. Heninger, J.R. "The Concept of Order in Chaucer's "Clerk's Tale" The Journal of English and Germanic Philology, Vol. 56, No. 3 (Jul 1957) pp. 382-395. JSTOR. Print.
This article focuses on the idea of the concept of order. This is because Chaucer used the social traditions of a wife having to obey her husband in the story. The "Clerk's Tale" explains the beneficial results of preserving order in life. A man marries an obedient wife, and has a child to continue on the order and family name, which goes on generation after generation with no problems. The author describes this as a common theme in literature during this period in time and also in many contemporary religious sermons. The author compares the clerk and his wife to Adam and Eve because they are the perfect model of God's natural order. The author uses "The Literacy Relationships of Chaucer's "Clerks Tale" as a source in this article, which is an extensive study of the tale. This article is great for students and anyone who wants to further their knowledge and deep understanding on social norms in literature during this time.
Finlayson, John. "Petrach, Boccaccio, and Chaucer's "Clerk's Tale" Studies in Philology, Vol. 97 No. 3 (2000) pp. 255-275. JSTOR. Print.
This article is about the debate on whether Chaucer's work was influenced by other works of this time. This specifically includes Boccaccio's Decameron and Novella and Petrach's French translation. Comparative studies by N.J. Thompson and David Wallace show that Chaucer did know about these works and that strong connections can be made that were never thought. The author puts together a close analysis with evidence that these works have many similarities yet some differences. The author uses many resources from those who study works from these authors very closely. Overall, it is thought that Chaucer's "Clerk's Tale" has small but significant additions compared to other pieces, like emotions, humor, and dialogue. This article targets how to compare "Clerk's Tale" to other pieces of literature.
Pearsall, B. Robert. "Chaucer's "Panik" (Clerk's Tale, 590)" Modern Language Notes, Vol. 67. No. 8 (Dec 1952) pp. 529-531. JSTOR. Print.
This article talks about the location of Bologna and "Eri of Panyk" that is mentioned in the Clerk's Tale. The author wonders and studies where the origin of this family and location is. The article has many opinions from Chaucer's modern commentators. It continues with the idea that Chaucer was influenced by Petrach and Boccaccio because Bologna could be either French or Italian, and "Eri of Panyk" is from Petrach. The author researched that "Panik" could be the location. It was a real place during the Middle Ages but ended up disappearing from history. Panico is believed to be the family name and it was located near Bologna-Pistoria road. It is unknown if Chaucer researched this location in his travels and got his idea to include it in Chaucer's Tale. This article is perfect for anyone to learn about specific locations and their history from Chaucer's work. Locations all over the world are an essential part to Literature.
Critical Analysis/Close Reading of Quotes:
1. "And think, lord, among all your prudent thoughts, how our days pass away from us in various ways; for though we sleep or wake, or roam, or ride, time forever flees away; it will tarry for no person. And though your fresh youth may still be in flower, age always creeps in, as still as a stone, and death menaces all ages and strikes each estate, and nobody escapes. And just as certainly as each one of us knows that we shall die, so uncertain are we of that day when death shall fall on us. Accept, then, this loyal intention from us, who never yet refused your command. And, lord, if you will agree, we will in short time choose you a wife born of the noblest and greatest of all this land, at the least, so that it ought to seem for God's honor and yours, as well as we can judge. Deliver us out of this anxious fear, and for the sake of the high God take a wife. For if it should so happen, God forbid, that through your death your line should fail, and that a strange successor should take your heritage, ah, may woe be to us living. For these reasons we beseech you to wed quickly." (140)
I think this lengthy quote is quite significant. It points out a major concern about Walter. It points out something that everyone should always consider as we go through life. Walter is a young lord, living in the present. He is happy go lucky, carefree, living in delight, and everyone loves him. I believe this quote symbolizes a turning point for the main character. The quote makes the point clear to Walter that at anytime something bad can happen. Even if you are young and healthy, you never know what could happen and you can die at any age or time. It is always important to keep the future in mind. Also if Walter were to die, who would take his place? Some awful person? Someone who could be mean to their people? If Walter marries and creates a family then everyone would know who the next king would be and not have to worry. Walter never took any of these points into consideration. I think he finally woke up and realized what is really important and what he needed to do. It was a maturing point for Walter. This quote starts up the main plot of Walter getting a wife. It makes me wonder, if this concern was never brought up to him in this way, would he have ever married? If so, how long would it have taken?
2. "Wondering at these words and trembling for fear, she said: "Lord, undeserving and unworthy am I of that which honor that you offer me. But as you wish, so too do I wish. And here I swear that willingly I shall never disobey you in deed or thought, even if I were to die for it and yet were loath to die." (364)
Griselda could not believe what was happening at this point. Although she is beautiful, she looks at herself as undeserving. She is poor and not the type that a king would want to settle down with. In her eyes, he could do better. She is the prime example of rags to riches, a classic happening in literature, where a woman who is dressed in ripped clothing living in a shack turns to a woman who is dressed in fancy gowns living in a palace. This quote brings out the point of looks being deceiving. A poor woman on the outside but an amazing woman on the inside. After all the tests her husband put her through, she still remained 100% loyal which is not how most women would act. I think most women would have flipped out on their husband when it came down to taking their children or being asked to plan their new wedding after leaving you. Griselda really showed she was not in this for the riches, but truly love and loyalty to her husband. She kept her word. In this quote she thinks she is the least deserving or worthy, when the truth is, she is the most deserving and worthy.
3. "Griselda," he said, "by God Who died for us, you are my wife, nor have I another, nor ever had, so God save my soul! This is your daughter whom you supposed to be my wife; the other, in faith, shall be my heir, as I have always intended. You bare him truly in your body. I have kept them secretly at Bologna; but take them back, for now you cannot say that you have lost either of your two children. And people that have said otherwise of me, I warn them well that I have done this deed out of neither malice nor cruelty, but to test your womanhood; not to slay my children--God forbid--but to keep them secretly until I knew all your mind and will." (1078)
I think this quote was big for the story. The king is confessing everything to Griselda. As I read this quote, I thought of how crazy and ridiculous the whole thing sounded. I felt as though this was the climax to the story, where the conflict of the plot was being resolved and put on the table. I was in shock and needed to know what was going to happen next. What was she feeling in this moment? What was she going to say? Griselda proves her loyalty once again. I cannot believe she did not flip out on him after everything. It makes me wonder, does she really wish she could flip out on him? Is she really this nice and understanding of a woman? These are extravagant tests just to see if your wife is loyal and also a bit of a coward. She should be a saint for keeping faith in her husband. For so long she thought her children were dead after being taken from her. To find out that this happened all because her husband wanted to test her womanhood. It is crazy. I enjoy the honesty coming out in this quote from Walter's character. I know he never did any of this to be malicious to his wife, but all of these tests, and specifically this quote, really shows me how much of an insecure man Walter is to go as far as he did.
Checkpoint #3
Annotated Bibliographies:
Amy W. Goodwin. "The Griselda Game." The Chaucer Review 39.1 (2004): 41-69. Project MUSE. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.
This source was written by Amy W. Goodwin who works at the Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia. She credits her work to Anne Middleton who wrote an essay about Petrarch's Griselda story. Her essay is titled, "The Clerk and His Tale: Some Literary Contexts," and was written in 1980. This source debates that Petrarch made his tale based on Boccaccio's. This also brings up the debate that Chaucer may have wrote his tale based on these past literature pieces as well. Griselda is a character used by all three writers throughout history. This article compares all three pieces of literature to each other even though there is plenty of similarities and differences. Each author put their own spin to recreate the piece and make it their own.
Brandon, Robert R. II, "And Gladly Wolde He Teche": Chaucer's Use of Source Materials in the "Clerk's Tale." (2003). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Web. 24 Oct. 2014.
This source was written by Robert Brandon and presented to the Department of English at East Tennessee State University. His essay describes the importance the Griselda character has had on literature. Boccaccio, Petrach, and Chaucer have all published their versions of a story based on a king who picks a woman to marry, all named Griselda. The character of Griselda is always humble, patient, and obedient to her husband. Each story has Griselda go through a number of cruel tests in which she never goes against her husband. The essay states how this story was important throughout time and overall well received. It is unsure if thre is any moral or social reasons for these tales but the essay states that the original origin may be based of Cupid and Psyche legends. It is believed that Boccaccio, Petrach, and Chaucer used exemplum to write their tales and wanted the reader to get into the mind of the characters. The essay continues to talk about how Chaucer's version has caused outrage by feminists for Griselda's cowardly obedience. The article compares how Clerk's Tale was impacted by the other works. It all started with Decameron by Boccaccio. The essay goes into great detail on how each tale started from there. They are each so similar, that the essay says it is extremely hard to notice the tone and mood changes from each piece.
*Source from another source*
Carruthers, Mary J. “The Lady, the Swineherd, and Chaucer’s Clerk.” The Chaucer Review 17 (1983) 221-233. JSTOR. Web. 24 Oct. 2014.
This article takes an in depth look at each of the characters. It also talks about how Chaucer's version of this tale and each character has the biggest difference compared to Boccaccio and Petrach. Chaucer made Griselda face inhumanity. He made her character feel more obedient, no matter how bad she was treated. Chaucer's depiction also made Walter more dark and mean than previous tales. He only cares about appearances and himself. Griselda is just a beautiful possession. The article states it's been a criticism to make the tale even more unattractive and problematic than it already was, due to the cruelty and cowardly behavior of the two main characters. Chaucer made the tone of the clerk different than the other previous literary works. The article makes the point that Chaucer's Clerk's Tale has the most changes and differences compared to Boccaccio and Petrach. The author compares "Clerk's Tale" to "Wife of Bath's Tale" for having the same theme about women and marriage. The article goes on to talk about how the reader can feel deeply for each character but should not mix fiction up with real life. It also compares and contrasts each of the wives and the changes in each tale throughout time.
Reflection:
The author's of my resources seemed most interested and concerned on how Chaucer and Petrach got their inspiration to write their tales. It seems as though they based their tales off of Boccaccio's Decameron. Each of my sources discusses the similarities between Boccaccio, Petrach, and Chaucer throughout time. Many scholars think there is certainty that Chaucer was influenced by his past literary authors when writing Clerk's Tale. I have come across that there is no proof of origin or that he saw Boccaccio's works before he wrote Clerk's Tale. Scholar's take the approach to study and use many different resources and search engines throughout history to pin point similarities and differences between these texts. There have been articles and essays written on this debate for decades, as I have found in my research. Author's dicuss how Chaucer made his story different in tone and mood than the others, but believe he must have been influenced fully by the past stories. According to my research, scholars discuss that each story has the same plot and same character traits, including a self-loving king putting a cowardly, obeying wife through a number of tests to see her loyalty. It is an ongoing debate on whether these stories fully came from each other. Griselda is a character that has been passed down from writer to writer. I think scholars want to know why and decipher each difference and similarity behind the stories and between authors. They also discuss other literary pieces where the character of Griselda could have been influenced from. There honestly will never be any proof to the argument, and it also depends a lot on personal opinion, but I am sure there are still so many more details to find with more research throughout the years.
Query:
I have found this research extremely interesting. I have never been interested in anything pertaining to Middle Age literature. I cannot believe how so many scholars are concerned with this text and it's origin. I am in shock at how many essays there have been throughout the years on this topic. When doing my research, the one main question I have is, why this tale is so talked about. It's literally a tale about a king who marries, and his wife, who is a coward, puts her husband before her kids, and does anything he says. I guess I wonder why this is such a big deal in literature. Is it controversial to steal ideas from other people's literature? Is it plagiarism? With my research I have wondered if that's why it is such a concern. Reading my resources and the argument that Chaucer got his influence from those other past pieces, makes me wonder, why did he change the tone and mood? What made him want to make the changes that he did? I wonder if he felt his version was more powerful or emotional for readers, or so exaggerated that people would laugh or think it was stupid. I'd love to be in the mind of Chaucer when he wrote this tale. How'd he write it? Did he obtain a copy of the past documents and go from there? It stays a mystery but I can't help but wonder. I would want to keep exploring this whole topic and I wonder if this story and the character of Griselda really is Middle Ages way of describing feminism and the "perfect marriage/perfect wife" scenario. I look forward to gaining more knowledge of this topic.
This essay is written by Lynn Shutters who teachers English and focuses on medieval literature at Colorado State University. Her essay compares Chaucer's The Clerk's Tale and The Legend of Good Women which are never really critically compared but have plenty of similarities. The essay points out how both pieces of literature use virtue and the theme of a woman having devotion to a cruel significant other. It also discusses how Griselda's character has Pagan and Christian religious values. This is a perfect essay for someone who is interested in taking a closer look at the Pagan and Christian religion for women, and comparing it to how it is used in this text. Other Chaucer's tales were also slightly analyzed in this article using the Pagan faith. This article is significant because it takes a closer look at how Griselda's character traits were developed using the influence of the Pagan religion and Christianity. Shutters believes that Pagan women in literature played an essential role in femininity within Chaucer's Griselda. It takes a closer look at the theme of religion and how it shaped her character.
Lawson, Rich. "Changes in Griselda's Story: Chaucer's The Clerk's Tale" Medevial History Resources (2004). Shadowed Realm. Web. 22 Nov. 2014
This article is by a man named Rich Lawson. It states that he graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in May 2003. His major was literature in ancient-medieval Europe. He also majored in history and had a minor in English. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. His article talks about how Griselda changes throughout the years from Boccaccio's version, to Petrach, and to Chaucer's The Clerk's Tale. This article is significant because it uses Christianity and religion as a driving force for the main characters of the tale. Lawson makes the point that Griselda is symoblized as a virtue and more of a holy woman. He has the idea that Griselda is somewhat of a saint, while her husband Walter, symbolizes God. He is powerful and ruling, while Griselda obeys whatever he says, staying faithful, no matter how horrific. Unlike the past versions of Griselda, the article discusses how Chaucer uses more emotion for his characters. Walter actually feels sorry for Griselda throughout his cruel tests. Griselda actually shows emotion in her dialouge and not just virtue. She expresses emotion in not just actions, but in words. Griselda is the prime example of how a woman should act in a marriage, but it is a totally unrealistic way for a woman to act. Lawson believes Chaucer is trying to examine marriage issues in his version of the tale and this is why this article is significant. The changes he provides in this tale, make more detail and explore the mind of Griselda. It seems as though, Chaucer wants to focus on marriage and his characters, while making it more detailed and realistic, but the fact that Griselda's actions are not realistic makes it confusing. Lawson points out the fact that it is hard to decifer Chaucer's main goal for his changes, but maybe it is to have people think about what it means to be married and the role of a woman. This article is a great read for English students or anyone who wants to study this view on Clerk's Tale.
Hawkins, Harriet. "The Victim's Side: Chaucer's "Clerk's Tale" and Webster's "Duchess of Malfi" Signs, Vol. 1, No. 2 (1975), pp. 339-361. Web. JSTOR. 20 Nov. 2014
This article is written by Harriet Hawkins who works and writes for the University of Chicago. This article is significant because it discusses and analyzes all the different ways to examine The Clerk's Tale. The article makes the point that when trying to find out everything specifically when studying and analyzing a classic work, we are losing our own personal view on the tale that we get when reading it. It is not always easy or the best option to figure everything out. The theme Hawkins points out from the tale is male domination. Walter is a demeaning, controlling husband, while Griselda is a docile, weak wife with no say in the marriage. Although very exaggerated, the tale focuses on matrimonial order. Walter is a tyrant, having total authority and power over another, his wife Griselda. The article also touches upon Christianity in the text. Griselda is an example of a soul enduring suffering and pain by the hands of another, a Lord type individual. This article would be an excellent source for anyone studying this piece of work that wants different views of how the work can be perceived. Overall, the article makes the point that you should not totally read this text in a social, modern way, or a religious, allegorical way.
Abstract:
In Chaucer's The Clerk's Tale, Griselda and Walter are a married couple. Walter is not a normal husband and this is not a normal marriage. The institution of marriage is in sickness and health, until death do you part. Typically, in a marriage, the wife and husband both have duties, and are both free to make decisions and have their own lives, only together. It is sometimes common for the man to make more decisions in a marriage, but not to an extreme level. My view on this text is that Chaucer is mocking the institution of marriage, and using Griselda and Walter's marriage to depict an abusive, one sided relationship. Griselda is a woman who is emotionally abused several times throughout the whole tale, yet stays devoted. Walter is a cruel, tyrant of a husband, who makes all the rules and is totally in control of his complaint wife. Griselda is so cowardly towards her husband that it is almost unbelievable for the reader to understand. This is extremely similar to cases of abused women who are hit by their husbands or emotionally degraded yet still stay around. Normally most people do not understand this, where the abused wife, in this case Griselda, understands it completely. Abused wives are brainwashed into pleasing their husband no matter what is asked. This is a common theme in literature today that is actually very real in society. Walter feels bad and apologizes to his wife, confessing everything, and Griselda falls into his arms, not even being upset for his lying, manipulative behavior. This is common behavior to an abusive marriage as well. Griselda is constantly lied to, talked down to, and treated poorly. Walter is insecure with obvious trust issues. These are obvious traits of a bad marriage. My goal when writing my journal article is to prove this theory on the theme of marriage and dysfunction in Chaucer's work.
Argument:
In Rich Lawson's "Changes in Griselda's Story: Chaucer's The Clerk's Tale", Rich is making the case that Chaucer used religious values to make the character of Griselda. Griselda's character is a totally Christian woman, holy and saintly. I disagree with this statement. Griselda is a compliant, cowardly, quiet woman who only cares about pleasing her husband. She puts her husbands wants and needs above her own and more even shocking, above her own children. At the wishes of her husband, their own daughter is taken away in the middle of the night, believed to be murdered and gone for good, where eventually the same happens to their son. Griselda just lets this happen. Quite frankly, this makes her an accomplice to kidnapping and murder. Growing up in a Christian family, there is nothing holy and religious about this. No normal mother is going to just let her children be taken away in the middle of the night just for her husband, unless they have serious psychological problems. This is an evil act all on it's own. Griselda is put through hell with her husbands cruel tests, no doubt about that. She is banished by her husband and he tells her he is re-marrying which is painful and cruel, however, she lets herself feel this way, and gives up her two babies which are usually the most precious things in the world to a mother. There is nothing holy about Griselda to me. Sacrificing your children to please a tyrant husband is not religious. She may speak with God in the tale, but her actions are insane, evil, and not of a religious woman. Actions speak louder than words.
Medievalist for a Semester!
Alison MolesCheckpoint #1 - Declared Reading: Chaucer's Clerks Tale
Proposed Calendar:9/23 - Read and take notes on declared reading
9/24 - Write summary of my selected reading
9/29 - Library visit for research and speak with a librarian
10/1 - Write annotations
10/6 - Focus on critical analysis/close reading. Think of all the suggested questions and answer them
10/15 - Checkpoint #2 due
10/16 - Gather more works cited and more research on topic for next checkpoint
10/23 - More theme related works for Annotated Bibliography
10/25- Reflection
11/1- Query
11/5- Checkpoint #3 due
11/7- Meeting with professor
11/10-Work on abstract
11/12- Work on argument against article
11/17-Survey
11/20- Review others work
11/24- Checkpoint #4 due
11/25- 12/12 Work on journal article to be completed by December 12!
Checkpoint #2
Summary of Chaucer's Clerks Tale:
This story is about a king named Walter who lived in Italy. Walter lived in delight, single, where marriage was far from his mind. Walter was told he needed to get a wife so that there was a heir to the throne. A wedding date was picked, so now all Walter had to do was find a bride. He set his eyes on a beautiful, but poor woman, named Griselda. The king gets her father, Janicula, to give permission for the marriage. The two become married and carry on to have a daughter, followed by a son. The king wants to test his wife's loyalty so he creates a number of tests for Griselda. First, he has an agent come take his daughter away where Griselda does not put up a fight at all. This happens again once they have a son. Next, Walter tells Griselda he is free from her and wishes to marry another woman. Griselda is sad but goes along with Walter's wishes. He even tells her to be in charge of his new wedding and gushes over his new bride and her beauty. He eventually feels so horrible because he is being cruel to Griselda. Griselda is so loyal to him and never denied any of his wishes. He tells her the truth about the tests, their children, and that there is no other wedding. They stay with each other for the rest of their lives and their son becomes king.
Annotated Bibliographies:
S.K. Heninger, J.R. "The Concept of Order in Chaucer's "Clerk's Tale" The Journal of English and Germanic Philology, Vol. 56, No. 3 (Jul 1957) pp. 382-395. JSTOR. Print.
This article focuses on the idea of the concept of order. This is because Chaucer used the social traditions of a wife having to obey her husband in the story. The "Clerk's Tale" explains the beneficial results of preserving order in life. A man marries an obedient wife, and has a child to continue on the order and family name, which goes on generation after generation with no problems. The author describes this as a common theme in literature during this period in time and also in many contemporary religious sermons. The author compares the clerk and his wife to Adam and Eve because they are the perfect model of God's natural order. The author uses "The Literacy Relationships of Chaucer's "Clerks Tale" as a source in this article, which is an extensive study of the tale. This article is great for students and anyone who wants to further their knowledge and deep understanding on social norms in literature during this time.
Finlayson, John. "Petrach, Boccaccio, and Chaucer's "Clerk's Tale" Studies in Philology, Vol. 97 No. 3 (2000) pp. 255-275. JSTOR. Print.
This article is about the debate on whether Chaucer's work was influenced by other works of this time. This specifically includes Boccaccio's Decameron and Novella and Petrach's French translation. Comparative studies by N.J. Thompson and David Wallace show that Chaucer did know about these works and that strong connections can be made that were never thought. The author puts together a close analysis with evidence that these works have many similarities yet some differences. The author uses many resources from those who study works from these authors very closely. Overall, it is thought that Chaucer's "Clerk's Tale" has small but significant additions compared to other pieces, like emotions, humor, and dialogue. This article targets how to compare "Clerk's Tale" to other pieces of literature.
Pearsall, B. Robert. "Chaucer's "Panik" (Clerk's Tale, 590)" Modern Language Notes, Vol. 67. No. 8 (Dec 1952) pp. 529-531. JSTOR. Print.
This article talks about the location of Bologna and "Eri of Panyk" that is mentioned in the Clerk's Tale. The author wonders and studies where the origin of this family and location is. The article has many opinions from Chaucer's modern commentators. It continues with the idea that Chaucer was influenced by Petrach and Boccaccio because Bologna could be either French or Italian, and "Eri of Panyk" is from Petrach. The author researched that "Panik" could be the location. It was a real place during the Middle Ages but ended up disappearing from history. Panico is believed to be the family name and it was located near Bologna-Pistoria road. It is unknown if Chaucer researched this location in his travels and got his idea to include it in Chaucer's Tale. This article is perfect for anyone to learn about specific locations and their history from Chaucer's work. Locations all over the world are an essential part to Literature.
Critical Analysis/Close Reading of Quotes:
1. "And think, lord, among all your prudent thoughts, how our days pass away from us in various ways; for though we sleep or wake, or roam, or ride, time forever flees away; it will tarry for no person. And though your fresh youth may still be in flower, age always creeps in, as still as a stone, and death menaces all ages and strikes each estate, and nobody escapes. And just as certainly as each one of us knows that we shall die, so uncertain are we of that day when death shall fall on us. Accept, then, this loyal intention from us, who never yet refused your command. And, lord, if you will agree, we will in short time choose you a wife born of the noblest and greatest of all this land, at the least, so that it ought to seem for God's honor and yours, as well as we can judge. Deliver us out of this anxious fear, and for the sake of the high God take a wife. For if it should so happen, God forbid, that through your death your line should fail, and that a strange successor should take your heritage, ah, may woe be to us living. For these reasons we beseech you to wed quickly." (140)
I think this lengthy quote is quite significant. It points out a major concern about Walter. It points out something that everyone should always consider as we go through life. Walter is a young lord, living in the present. He is happy go lucky, carefree, living in delight, and everyone loves him. I believe this quote symbolizes a turning point for the main character. The quote makes the point clear to Walter that at anytime something bad can happen. Even if you are young and healthy, you never know what could happen and you can die at any age or time. It is always important to keep the future in mind. Also if Walter were to die, who would take his place? Some awful person? Someone who could be mean to their people? If Walter marries and creates a family then everyone would know who the next king would be and not have to worry. Walter never took any of these points into consideration. I think he finally woke up and realized what is really important and what he needed to do. It was a maturing point for Walter. This quote starts up the main plot of Walter getting a wife. It makes me wonder, if this concern was never brought up to him in this way, would he have ever married? If so, how long would it have taken?
2. "Wondering at these words and trembling for fear, she said: "Lord, undeserving and unworthy am I of that which honor that you offer me. But as you wish, so too do I wish. And here I swear that willingly I shall never disobey you in deed or thought, even if I were to die for it and yet were loath to die." (364)
Griselda could not believe what was happening at this point. Although she is beautiful, she looks at herself as undeserving. She is poor and not the type that a king would want to settle down with. In her eyes, he could do better. She is the prime example of rags to riches, a classic happening in literature, where a woman who is dressed in ripped clothing living in a shack turns to a woman who is dressed in fancy gowns living in a palace. This quote brings out the point of looks being deceiving. A poor woman on the outside but an amazing woman on the inside. After all the tests her husband put her through, she still remained 100% loyal which is not how most women would act. I think most women would have flipped out on their husband when it came down to taking their children or being asked to plan their new wedding after leaving you. Griselda really showed she was not in this for the riches, but truly love and loyalty to her husband. She kept her word. In this quote she thinks she is the least deserving or worthy, when the truth is, she is the most deserving and worthy.
3. "Griselda," he said, "by God Who died for us, you are my wife, nor have I another, nor ever had, so God save my soul! This is your daughter whom you supposed to be my wife; the other, in faith, shall be my heir, as I have always intended. You bare him truly in your body. I have kept them secretly at Bologna; but take them back, for now you cannot say that you have lost either of your two children. And people that have said otherwise of me, I warn them well that I have done this deed out of neither malice nor cruelty, but to test your womanhood; not to slay my children--God forbid--but to keep them secretly until I knew all your mind and will." (1078)
I think this quote was big for the story. The king is confessing everything to Griselda. As I read this quote, I thought of how crazy and ridiculous the whole thing sounded. I felt as though this was the climax to the story, where the conflict of the plot was being resolved and put on the table. I was in shock and needed to know what was going to happen next. What was she feeling in this moment? What was she going to say? Griselda proves her loyalty once again. I cannot believe she did not flip out on him after everything. It makes me wonder, does she really wish she could flip out on him? Is she really this nice and understanding of a woman? These are extravagant tests just to see if your wife is loyal and also a bit of a coward. She should be a saint for keeping faith in her husband. For so long she thought her children were dead after being taken from her. To find out that this happened all because her husband wanted to test her womanhood. It is crazy. I enjoy the honesty coming out in this quote from Walter's character. I know he never did any of this to be malicious to his wife, but all of these tests, and specifically this quote, really shows me how much of an insecure man Walter is to go as far as he did.
Checkpoint #3
Annotated Bibliographies:
Amy W. Goodwin. "The Griselda Game." The Chaucer Review 39.1 (2004): 41-69. Project MUSE. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.
This source was written by Amy W. Goodwin who works at the Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia. She credits her work to Anne Middleton who wrote an essay about Petrarch's Griselda story. Her essay is titled, "The Clerk and His Tale: Some Literary Contexts," and was written in 1980. This source debates that Petrarch made his tale based on Boccaccio's. This also brings up the debate that Chaucer may have wrote his tale based on these past literature pieces as well. Griselda is a character used by all three writers throughout history. This article compares all three pieces of literature to each other even though there is plenty of similarities and differences. Each author put their own spin to recreate the piece and make it their own.
Brandon, Robert R. II, "And Gladly Wolde He Teche": Chaucer's Use of Source Materials in the "Clerk's Tale." (2003). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Web. 24 Oct. 2014.
This source was written by Robert Brandon and presented to the Department of English at East Tennessee State University. His essay describes the importance the Griselda character has had on literature. Boccaccio, Petrach, and Chaucer have all published their versions of a story based on a king who picks a woman to marry, all named Griselda. The character of Griselda is always humble, patient, and obedient to her husband. Each story has Griselda go through a number of cruel tests in which she never goes against her husband. The essay states how this story was important throughout time and overall well received. It is unsure if thre is any moral or social reasons for these tales but the essay states that the original origin may be based of Cupid and Psyche legends. It is believed that Boccaccio, Petrach, and Chaucer used exemplum to write their tales and wanted the reader to get into the mind of the characters. The essay continues to talk about how Chaucer's version has caused outrage by feminists for Griselda's cowardly obedience. The article compares how Clerk's Tale was impacted by the other works. It all started with Decameron by Boccaccio. The essay goes into great detail on how each tale started from there. They are each so similar, that the essay says it is extremely hard to notice the tone and mood changes from each piece.
*Source from another source*
Carruthers, Mary J. “The Lady, the Swineherd, and Chaucer’s Clerk.” The Chaucer Review 17 (1983) 221-233. JSTOR. Web. 24 Oct. 2014.
This article takes an in depth look at each of the characters. It also talks about how Chaucer's version of this tale and each character has the biggest difference compared to Boccaccio and Petrach. Chaucer made Griselda face inhumanity. He made her character feel more obedient, no matter how bad she was treated. Chaucer's depiction also made Walter more dark and mean than previous tales. He only cares about appearances and himself. Griselda is just a beautiful possession. The article states it's been a criticism to make the tale even more unattractive and problematic than it already was, due to the cruelty and cowardly behavior of the two main characters. Chaucer made the tone of the clerk different than the other previous literary works. The article makes the point that Chaucer's Clerk's Tale has the most changes and differences compared to Boccaccio and Petrach. The author compares "Clerk's Tale" to "Wife of Bath's Tale" for having the same theme about women and marriage. The article goes on to talk about how the reader can feel deeply for each character but should not mix fiction up with real life. It also compares and contrasts each of the wives and the changes in each tale throughout time.
Reflection:
The author's of my resources seemed most interested and concerned on how Chaucer and Petrach got their inspiration to write their tales. It seems as though they based their tales off of Boccaccio's Decameron. Each of my sources discusses the similarities between Boccaccio, Petrach, and Chaucer throughout time. Many scholars think there is certainty that Chaucer was influenced by his past literary authors when writing Clerk's Tale. I have come across that there is no proof of origin or that he saw Boccaccio's works before he wrote Clerk's Tale. Scholar's take the approach to study and use many different resources and search engines throughout history to pin point similarities and differences between these texts. There have been articles and essays written on this debate for decades, as I have found in my research. Author's dicuss how Chaucer made his story different in tone and mood than the others, but believe he must have been influenced fully by the past stories. According to my research, scholars discuss that each story has the same plot and same character traits, including a self-loving king putting a cowardly, obeying wife through a number of tests to see her loyalty. It is an ongoing debate on whether these stories fully came from each other. Griselda is a character that has been passed down from writer to writer. I think scholars want to know why and decipher each difference and similarity behind the stories and between authors. They also discuss other literary pieces where the character of Griselda could have been influenced from. There honestly will never be any proof to the argument, and it also depends a lot on personal opinion, but I am sure there are still so many more details to find with more research throughout the years.
Query:
I have found this research extremely interesting. I have never been interested in anything pertaining to Middle Age literature. I cannot believe how so many scholars are concerned with this text and it's origin. I am in shock at how many essays there have been throughout the years on this topic. When doing my research, the one main question I have is, why this tale is so talked about. It's literally a tale about a king who marries, and his wife, who is a coward, puts her husband before her kids, and does anything he says. I guess I wonder why this is such a big deal in literature. Is it controversial to steal ideas from other people's literature? Is it plagiarism? With my research I have wondered if that's why it is such a concern. Reading my resources and the argument that Chaucer got his influence from those other past pieces, makes me wonder, why did he change the tone and mood? What made him want to make the changes that he did? I wonder if he felt his version was more powerful or emotional for readers, or so exaggerated that people would laugh or think it was stupid. I'd love to be in the mind of Chaucer when he wrote this tale. How'd he write it? Did he obtain a copy of the past documents and go from there? It stays a mystery but I can't help but wonder. I would want to keep exploring this whole topic and I wonder if this story and the character of Griselda really is Middle Ages way of describing feminism and the "perfect marriage/perfect wife" scenario. I look forward to gaining more knowledge of this topic.
Checkpoint #4
Annotated Bibliographies:
Shutters, Lynn. "Griselda’s Pagan Virtue." The Chaucer Review 44.1 (2009): 61-83. Project MUSE. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
This essay is written by Lynn Shutters who teachers English and focuses on medieval literature at Colorado State University. Her essay compares Chaucer's The Clerk's Tale and The Legend of Good Women which are never really critically compared but have plenty of similarities. The essay points out how both pieces of literature use virtue and the theme of a woman having devotion to a cruel significant other. It also discusses how Griselda's character has Pagan and Christian religious values. This is a perfect essay for someone who is interested in taking a closer look at the Pagan and Christian religion for women, and comparing it to how it is used in this text. Other Chaucer's tales were also slightly analyzed in this article using the Pagan faith. This article is significant because it takes a closer look at how Griselda's character traits were developed using the influence of the Pagan religion and Christianity. Shutters believes that Pagan women in literature played an essential role in femininity within Chaucer's Griselda. It takes a closer look at the theme of religion and how it shaped her character.
Lawson, Rich. "Changes in Griselda's Story: Chaucer's The Clerk's Tale" Medevial History Resources (2004). Shadowed Realm. Web. 22 Nov. 2014
This article is by a man named Rich Lawson. It states that he graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in May 2003. His major was literature in ancient-medieval Europe. He also majored in history and had a minor in English. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. His article talks about how Griselda changes throughout the years from Boccaccio's version, to Petrach, and to Chaucer's The Clerk's Tale. This article is significant because it uses Christianity and religion as a driving force for the main characters of the tale. Lawson makes the point that Griselda is symoblized as a virtue and more of a holy woman. He has the idea that Griselda is somewhat of a saint, while her husband Walter, symbolizes God. He is powerful and ruling, while Griselda obeys whatever he says, staying faithful, no matter how horrific. Unlike the past versions of Griselda, the article discusses how Chaucer uses more emotion for his characters. Walter actually feels sorry for Griselda throughout his cruel tests. Griselda actually shows emotion in her dialouge and not just virtue. She expresses emotion in not just actions, but in words. Griselda is the prime example of how a woman should act in a marriage, but it is a totally unrealistic way for a woman to act. Lawson believes Chaucer is trying to examine marriage issues in his version of the tale and this is why this article is significant. The changes he provides in this tale, make more detail and explore the mind of Griselda. It seems as though, Chaucer wants to focus on marriage and his characters, while making it more detailed and realistic, but the fact that Griselda's actions are not realistic makes it confusing. Lawson points out the fact that it is hard to decifer Chaucer's main goal for his changes, but maybe it is to have people think about what it means to be married and the role of a woman. This article is a great read for English students or anyone who wants to study this view on Clerk's Tale.
Hawkins, Harriet. "The Victim's Side: Chaucer's "Clerk's Tale" and Webster's "Duchess of Malfi" Signs, Vol. 1, No. 2 (1975), pp. 339-361. Web. JSTOR. 20 Nov. 2014
This article is written by Harriet Hawkins who works and writes for the University of Chicago. This article is significant because it discusses and analyzes all the different ways to examine The Clerk's Tale. The article makes the point that when trying to find out everything specifically when studying and analyzing a classic work, we are losing our own personal view on the tale that we get when reading it. It is not always easy or the best option to figure everything out. The theme Hawkins points out from the tale is male domination. Walter is a demeaning, controlling husband, while Griselda is a docile, weak wife with no say in the marriage. Although very exaggerated, the tale focuses on matrimonial order. Walter is a tyrant, having total authority and power over another, his wife Griselda. The article also touches upon Christianity in the text. Griselda is an example of a soul enduring suffering and pain by the hands of another, a Lord type individual. This article would be an excellent source for anyone studying this piece of work that wants different views of how the work can be perceived. Overall, the article makes the point that you should not totally read this text in a social, modern way, or a religious, allegorical way.
Abstract:
In Chaucer's The Clerk's Tale, Griselda and Walter are a married couple. Walter is not a normal husband and this is not a normal marriage. The institution of marriage is in sickness and health, until death do you part. Typically, in a marriage, the wife and husband both have duties, and are both free to make decisions and have their own lives, only together. It is sometimes common for the man to make more decisions in a marriage, but not to an extreme level. My view on this text is that Chaucer is mocking the institution of marriage, and using Griselda and Walter's marriage to depict an abusive, one sided relationship. Griselda is a woman who is emotionally abused several times throughout the whole tale, yet stays devoted. Walter is a cruel, tyrant of a husband, who makes all the rules and is totally in control of his complaint wife. Griselda is so cowardly towards her husband that it is almost unbelievable for the reader to understand. This is extremely similar to cases of abused women who are hit by their husbands or emotionally degraded yet still stay around. Normally most people do not understand this, where the abused wife, in this case Griselda, understands it completely. Abused wives are brainwashed into pleasing their husband no matter what is asked. This is a common theme in literature today that is actually very real in society. Walter feels bad and apologizes to his wife, confessing everything, and Griselda falls into his arms, not even being upset for his lying, manipulative behavior. This is common behavior to an abusive marriage as well. Griselda is constantly lied to, talked down to, and treated poorly. Walter is insecure with obvious trust issues. These are obvious traits of a bad marriage. My goal when writing my journal article is to prove this theory on the theme of marriage and dysfunction in Chaucer's work.
Argument:
In Rich Lawson's "Changes in Griselda's Story: Chaucer's The Clerk's Tale", Rich is making the case that Chaucer used religious values to make the character of Griselda. Griselda's character is a totally Christian woman, holy and saintly. I disagree with this statement. Griselda is a compliant, cowardly, quiet woman who only cares about pleasing her husband. She puts her husbands wants and needs above her own and more even shocking, above her own children. At the wishes of her husband, their own daughter is taken away in the middle of the night, believed to be murdered and gone for good, where eventually the same happens to their son. Griselda just lets this happen. Quite frankly, this makes her an accomplice to kidnapping and murder. Growing up in a Christian family, there is nothing holy and religious about this. No normal mother is going to just let her children be taken away in the middle of the night just for her husband, unless they have serious psychological problems. This is an evil act all on it's own. Griselda is put through hell with her husbands cruel tests, no doubt about that. She is banished by her husband and he tells her he is re-marrying which is painful and cruel, however, she lets herself feel this way, and gives up her two babies which are usually the most precious things in the world to a mother. There is nothing holy about Griselda to me. Sacrificing your children to please a tyrant husband is not religious. She may speak with God in the tale, but her actions are insane, evil, and not of a religious woman. Actions speak louder than words.